This is the fourth sermon on Genesis chapter 27. We’ve talked about Isaac, firstly, the head of the family who was said, who we said was given authority to lead his family. He was the one tasked to pronounce the God’s oracle, God’s message which was “the older shall serve the younger” meaning when Jacob and Esau were babies, God made His pronouncement already that Jacob should inherit the birthright. That is in Genesis chapter 25. And it was Isaac’s role, it was Isaac’s job as the head of the family to also pronounce that, pronouncement by God to his own family. Secondly, we talked about Rebekah and how she, as the wife was called to help her husband. But obviously, just as we didn’t see the spiritual leadership of Isaac in Genesis chapter 27, we also did not see the submissiveness of his wife, Rebekah. Thirdly, last week, we looked at Jacob’s deception and how he supported the plan of his mother Rebekah.
And now we will look at the life of the last family member, his
name was Esau. And I would say that he was a PARADIGM OF A REPROBATE. Turn with me to Genesis chapter 27 verses 30 to 46. As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. He also prepared delicious food and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that you may bless me.” His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” Then Isaac trembled very violently and said,
“Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.” As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!” But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.” Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him lord over you, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?” Esau said to his father, “Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.
Then Isaac his father answered and said to him: “Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and away from the dew of heaven on high. By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; But when you grow restless you shall break his yoke from your neck.” Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran and stay with him a while, until your brother’s fury turns away— until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?” Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?”
The grass withers, the flower fades but the word of the Lord will stand forever. We’ve learned at the end of Genesis chapter 25 that Esau sold his birthright to Jacob because he despised the birthright.
And again when we talk, when we studied what the birthright was, it means that the one who has it, the firstborn would inherit double inheritance, right. That’s the, yun yung usual na mayroon ang isang panganay na anak. Now, especially in the ancient near East. Pero, ofcourse, sa konteksto ng pamilya ni Isaac, sa pamilya ni Abraham, we’re talking about more. Hindi lang double inheritance, we’re also talking about covenantal privileges. The relationship that the patriarch has with, had with God, Himself. Privileges that will be passed on to the next. Yun yung ibig sabihin; mas malalim pa, ang ibig sabihin ng birthright, when we talk about it in the context of the family of Isaac, in the family of course of Abraham. And that birthright was what Esau despised. Yun yung kinamuhian ni Esau. Ayaw na ayaw niya. Hindi lang ayaw niya ng double inheritance, o ayaw niyang tanggapin ang mga pangako ng Diyos. He despised the promises of God. And by despising the promises of God, he’s basically despising the promise Giver. That’s basically what it meant. Now, of course we can see as well Jacob, who sinned greatly as well in this chapter. Yes, kitang-kita rin ang deception ni Jacob, hindi lang naman si Esau, of course. But the Bible, especially in Hebrews chapter 11 when we look at the list of the faithful ones: the men and some were women na faithful. Makikita yun sa Hebrews chapter 11, nandoon si Jacob sa listahan na iyon, of the faithful ones.
Esau, on the other hand, after despising the birthright in Genesis
chapter 25, we don’t see him in a posture of repentance in this chapter or any chapter at all. You may say o teka Pastor, in the later chapters, di ba nag-reconcile sila ni Jacob? But more on that, that does not mean that it was repentance on the part of Esau. In fact, the New Testament was explicit about the reprobation, o yung pagiging unbeliever talaga ni Esau compared kay Jacob. So again, makikita mo yung dalawang magkapatid in one chapter, and then we look at the New Testament, the New Testament authors, nakikita nila yung buhay ni Jacob at ni Esau. Si Jacob nag-repent sa kanyang buhay. Siya talaga ay man of God. The other Esau, ay hindi! So Esau, when he found out that Jacob tricked him, nakita dito, Teka, Pastor, umiyak siya; he cried, it says bitter cry. Is that true repentance? After he was rejected when he begged his father to give another blessing.. “Father, have you not reserved another blessing for me?” What did he want to do nung siya’s na-reject doon? He wanted to kill his brother, Jacob. Is that true repentance?
Again, the Bible is really specific about the state of Esau. Nabasa natin kanina, Hebrews chapter 12 verse 15, there is a warning there, verse 15 – See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; make sure na walang makaka-miss ng grasya ng Panginoon, na makukuha ang grasya ng panginoon; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled” Make sure that the grace of God ay malinaw, evident sa mga, sa people of God. And then verse 16, nagbigay ang author ng Hebrews ng example na huwag dapat gayahin. Make sure that you obtain the grace of God not like this person who did not obtain the grace of God, verse 16. That no one is sexually immoral.. imagine again huh, New Testament ito huh, that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau who sold his birthright for a single meal. Binenta niya ang graciously binigay sa kaniya ng Panginoon na nakamit niya nung siya’y pinanganak, binenta niya para lang sa isang single meal. This is why he, ang buhay ni Esau ay parang pattern or paradigm ng isang reprobate..meaning — non-elect. Malinaw iyan sa mga interpretations ni Paul sa new testament, Romans chapter 9.
When Paul was explaining to us what God meant by “the older shall serve the younger,” Paul said in Romans chapter 9 verses 11 to 13. Sabi ni Paul though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” So Paul, Paul was saying in Romans chapter 9 na pinapakita na may pronouncement na kaagad ang Panginoon. Si Jacob, I love, si Esau, well, konti lang.
Hindi. Hindi konti lang eh ‘no? I hated.. ang sabi dito. Jacob I love, Esau, I hated. Meron nang pronouncement ang Panginoon in eternity past na mayroong taong in-elect Niya at mayroong taong hindi Niya in- elect. Reprobate, ibig sabihin. Now, pinatunayan ng dalawang ito sa kanilang buhay in history na talagang elect si Jacob, sinner, saved by grace siya, sinner pa rin siya, pero ligtas siya, faithful man, Hebrews 11 Jacob. Pinatunayan din ni Esau na talagang siya ay non-elect. Na siya talaga ay hindi maniniwala sa Diyos. He despises the promises of God, he despised God. Malinaw iyon! Klaro even sa kanilang buhay. And as a reprobate, a non-elect, obviously, God did not grant Esau repentance and iyon ang katotohanan. Another truth, another truth — it is also true that Esau did not pursue repentance. Totoo din iyon. He failed to obtain the grace of God. Repentance and Faith. Iyon yung klaro sa kaniyang buhay. And ang buhay ni Esau, especially for us christians, professing christians rather, na nagp-profess na tayo ay iniligtas ng Panginoon, warning ito lahat sa atin. Warning ang buhay ni Esau sa lahat, sa buhay natin ngayon. Kung si Esau failed to obtain the grace of God, failed to pursue repentance, calling ito sa ating mga kristiyano to never, to never fail to pursue repentance also.
Kaya ang message ko ngayong hapon, REPENTANCE IS FOREIGN TO A SINNER WHO WILLINGLY REBELS AGAINST GOD. Andun ba tayo
sa buhay na willingly tayo nag-re-rebel against the Lord? Well let me tell you, repentance become foreign to us if that is happening.
Especially for a non-elect, foreign talaga ang Repentance. Pero kung ikaw ay elect; kung ikaw ay kay Kristo, hindi ito foreign sa atin. Ito’y pwedeng-pwedeng makamit. Yun naman ang comfort natin bilang mga kristiyano.
But let’s look at the life of Esau as well, because very important itong mapag-aralan natin as christians dahil sabi natin, warning ito sa atin. So what can we say about Esau’s rebellion? I have two points; first point is the REBEL’S SIGHT and secondly the REBEL’S SORROW.
Let’s look and consider at the first point which is the REBEL’S SIGHT. So when Esau found out that Jacob was the one who got the blessing, verse 36 says, sabi ni Esau – “Is he not rightly named Jacob, for he has cheated me these two time? He took away my birthright and behold now, he has taken away my blessing?” I mean Esau was not completely being truthful here. Remember, Esau despise the birthright. Jacob did not take away his birthright. Esau sold his birthright. See how he puts all the blame to his brother, Jacob? I would agree sa commentary ni John Calvin dito. Sabi ni John Calvin, and I quote “Having sold his birthright, he had darted like a famished dog upon the meat and the porridge and now, as if he had done no wrong, he vents all his anger on his brother.” Esau was not owning up to what he has done. Oh he has despised the promises of God. We find no repentance in this chapter. In fact, feeling niya, siya pa yung namali. He was wronged. ‘It was my brother who did this.’ He was not repentant of his sin of anger against the promises of God, against God. That this was the consequences of him not giving value to his own birthright. Hindi niya binigyan ng halaga. Ngayong nararamdaman na niya yung mga consequences na ito, galit na siya. Para kay Esau, hindi siya nagkasala. ‘I did not sin! It was him who was, it was, it was Esau who was wronged!’ In fact, when Isaac’s gone, sabi ni Esau, pag nawala na yung aking ama, sabi niya doon, sa latter part ng Genesis chapter 27, he said that he wanted to kill Jacob. This is what happens to anyone who pursues a life of rebellion against God. The unrepentant sinner always sees the sins of others and not his own. The rebel’s sight therefore is a clouded sight – a sight where only the sins of others are evident and never his own sins! Friends, brethren, this is a pattern of a life of a reprobate. Ganito ang pattern ng buhay ng taong wala sa Diyos. This is what Paul was saying in Romans chapter 1 verse 28 – you’re familiar with Romans chapter one. You’re familiar with the downward spiral of a life of a reprobate there in Romans chapter 1 verse 28. It says and at the at the very end of that downward spiral, Paul said and since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind, to a depraved mind to do what ought not to be done. Eh, wala nang moralidad because they do not see their own sin, there’s no acknowledgment of the holiness of God, there’s no acknowledgment of their own sin. They just comfortably commit sin. What ‘ought not to be done’, iyon yun. Nasanay na, na “wala akong kasalanan” kahit na ikaw ang may kasalanan; kasalanan lagi ng iba..ganun ang buhay ng isang wala sa Diyos. And if this has been your life, and you are a guest here, the reality is that all of us have sinned. The question is: do you acknowledge your sins? Do you see your own sins? Yung kaninang ni-recite natin, yung Decalogue. Instead of its purpose is for us to evaluate our own sins, after mong basahin ang Decalogue, ibang sins kaagad ng ibang tao ang naiisip mo.. instead of your own. Oh, number six, siya ‘to eh..number seven, seven commandment, siya ‘to, eight commandment, siya ‘to. And never our own. Kung ganito tayo, you have to repent of your sins.
Lahat ho tayo nagkasala. Wala po sa ating perpekto. I’m sure yung mga naiisip natin towards other people ay ganun din ang mga kasalanan natin. Pero mabuti ang Diyos. Mabuti ang Diyos. God remedies this problem of sin and we know that He is a person, He is Jesus Christ. He remedies as well our sin of not seeing our own sins. Yun ay ipinako sa krus din. Eh kung ikaw ay, you’re comfortable diyan sa iyong estado ng buhay, na ang nakikita mo lang ay ang kasalanan ng iba at never your own, ngayon pa lang, pakinggan mo, pakinggan mo ang salita ng Diyos! Umalis ka na diyan! Repent of that sin and come to faith in Jesus Christ. Iyon lamang ang, ang freedom mo. Si Kristo lang, Siya lang ang magbibigay sa iyo ng kalayaan para makawala ka diyan sa downward-spiral na iyan. Pero kung ikaw ay kristiyano, oh yes! Pwede naman talaga na mag-struggle tayo, na maging selfish tayo; yung sarili lagi ang iniisip natin at puro kasalanan ng iba ang iniisip mo. Mag- repent ka rin diyan, kapatid. Kahit ang isang kristiyano ay pwedeng mag-struggle sa ganyang kasalanan. But it is a warning because it is the REBEL’S SIGHT. Ganito ang sight ng isang reprobate. I’m not saying that you are a reprobate. It is a warning that you as well, have remaining sins pa rin. And you need to repent of that as well kapatid. Look to Christ. To the holiness of Christ.
So brethren who are in Christ, this should not be your life. You shouldn’t be known as an unrepentant sinner. Because repentance should be ongoing. True repentance is ongoing turning away from your own sin and turning to Christ. A christian immediately looks at himself and denies the self. Remember what Christ has said “you want to follow me? Deny yourself!” Patuloy itong pag-deny sa iyong sarili in order to follow Christ. It’s like in Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the publican, the tax collector. The Pharisee asked God in Luke chapter 18 verse 11 “God, I thank you that I’m not like the other man.. like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week I give tithes of all that I get.” verse 13 but the tax collector standing far off would not even lift up, lift up his eyes to heaven but beat his breath saying “God be merciful to me, a sinner.” You see the difference of one who is of God and not of God.
Sabi nga ni Thomas Watson in his book The Doctrine Of Repentance and I quote he said “The eye is made both foreseeing and weeping. Sin must first be seen before it can be wept for.” Kailangang makita mo muna ang iyong kasalanan, kapatid. Andaming pwedeng pumatong- patong din na kasalanan dito..pride, divisions sa church, pagdating sa relationships, kasi hindi mo nakikita ang iyong sarili. Again, sa pagbabasa ng Decalogue, ibang tao kaagad ang iyong naiisip and you can’t see your sins if you’re not convicted, if you’re not humbled by God. Hindi mo talaga makikita itong mga sarili mong kasalanan.
Nahaharangan ng napaka-kapal na usok. Hindi mo makita ang sarili mong kasalanan. Nakikita mong sobrang linaw, ang ang kasalanan ng iba. And what’s worse, kasalanan ng iyong kapatid sa pananampalataya. Gagamitin ng kalaban para magkaroon ng dibisyon, division sa local church. Kung ikaw ay kay Kristo, repent! Yun ang kagandahan ng works ni Christ sa atin. The Holy Spirit enables us to repent of these sins. Maaalala natin na namatay na si Kristo sa krus for our sins. Yun ang kagandahan nito. Pero kung wala ka kay Kristo, paikot-ikot lang ang buhay na ito. Kaya tumalikod ka na. Repent of your sin and come to faith in Christ. Ang challenge ko, specially sa aking mga kapatid, Humble Yourselves Before Our Holy God And Appreciate Ninyo Ang Kaniyang Grasya. Appreciate His Grace. This is what a non-elect person cannot do and does not do.. to humble himself, herself before the holy God. So brethren, humble yourself. Remember that you are also a sinner like everyone else and appreciate His grace in the gospel.
For us professing christians, the life of Esau, again, serves as a warning. That if we do, if we don’t continue to humble ourselves before God, ang konsensiya natin ay magiging seered. Again, this usually happens even for us believers. Now, pwedeng sabihin natin teka, naa-acknowledge ko naman yung mga sins ko. Naa-acknowledge ko naman ang aking mga kasalanan. I acknowledge them. Pero kaya lang naman ako nagkasala kasi, ginawa niya ito. Kaya ako nagkasala, kasi, ikaw eh. So response ko lang iyon because of your sin. It was, yes my response was sinful, I acknowledge. Pero, ikaw talaga heh. So meron pa ring konting..alam mo yon? Na wala pa ring pag-ako, fully of what we have done and there is a temptation for every christian to be like that. Napasigaw ako sa aking asawa kasi sumigaw din siya heh.
Ginawa ko ito kasi hindi mo ito ginawa. Ikaw yan heh. It looks like ina- acknowledge natin yung sin natin. Pero, kung susuriin natin, hindi talaga fully. Alam niyo, prublema kapag hindi natin nakikita ang ating kasalanan? It’s because we fail to see the holiness of God. If we don’t have as a parameter of holiness, God’s holiness, Christ’s life, then yes we won’t see our sins. Ang ganda yung kanta ni Reginald Heber sa kaniyang song na Holy, Holy, Holy. I think maganda yung pagkakasabi niya doon. Sabi dito, holy, holy, holy, though the darkness hide thee, though the eye of sinful man thy Glory may not see. Only Thou art holy, there is none beside thee. Perfect in power in love and purity. And that is what sin does. It blurs the holiness of God. Yung darkness, tinatago ang holiness ng Panginoon at binibigyang linaw ang sarili natin, ang sarili nating mga kasalanan. And the only, the only thing that can remove that darkness is the grace of God in Jesus Christ. So if you’re able to catch and see your own sins immediately, appreciate the work of God in Christ. It is because you have been changed by the Holy Spirit. It is because Jesus Christ already died on that cross. That’s the reason why you now you’re now able to consciously catch these sins and repent of them, mortify them. So kapatid, nakikita mo ba na lagi ang kasalanan ng iba? Yun lagi ang napapansin mo but never yours?
Malakas ka ba makapuna ng sins ng iba, but never yours? Malakas ka ba mang-rebuke ng sin ng iba, but when you are rebuked, nagagalit ka?
Kung sa Genesis chapter 27, it started by saying Isaac was, his eyes were dim. But really, the ones dimmers ng, ang mata na mas dim talaga ay si Esau. Kung ikaw ay professing christian, hindi ganitong matang ibinigay sa atin. So you must humble yourself before God, kapatid.
My last point is the REBEL’S SORROW, the rebels sorrow. You know in Hebrews chapter 12 verses 15 to 17, let me read again. It says – See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears. The question is what did Esau seek? It says: though he sought it with tears. Many would say that it was repentance, that he was trying to seek. But in the context, when he desires, sabi rito – when he desires to inherit the blessing. Ibig sabihin, it wasn’t really repentance that he was trying to seek. He was trying to seek the blessing. In Genesis chapter chapter 27, obvious ito, what he was trying to seek. Genesis chapter 27 verse 34 it says As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!” He was seeking for the blessing. Bless me also. Yun yung hinahanap talaga niya. And he sought it with tears. Verse 36 have you not reserved a blessing for me? Verse 38 have you but one blessing my father bless me even me also o my father and Esau lifted up his voice and wept. So Esau was seeking for the blessing. That was the reason for the tears, for the bitter cry. Add to that, nung na-receive pa niya yung words ng kaniyang ama. Behold, away from the fatness of the Earth shall your dwelling be and away from the dew of heaven on High. By your sword you shall live and you shall serve your brother but when you grow restless, you shall break his yoke from your neck. Prophecy sa mga susunod niyang mga descendants, mga Edomites, mga anak ni Esau, na sila, even sila, mga descendants niya ay magiging servants ng Israelites. And yet when they grow restless, they will rebel against the Israelites. They will break the Israelites’ yoke from the Israelites’ neck. So marinig yun ni Esau? Ah mas lalo siyang nagalit. Yan yung matanggap niya instead of makukuha niya, may God bess you with the fatness of the Earth, the dew of heaven. Kabaligtaran, away from the fatness of the Earth shall your dwelling be.
And so verse 41 was clear, ano yung response ni Esau? Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him. So this is not repentance, mga kapatid. Last week sinabi natin, Jacob was trying to avoid the consequences, if you were there, if you remember. He tried to avoid what was about to happen, right. And in order to avoid it, magsasala siya. I-co-conceal niya yung kasalanan. Magli-lie pa siya. Now Esau, here on the other hand, hindi, it’s not about to happen. The consequence is now, here, happening. He is now experiencing the consequences of his sin, of his, ang kaniyang pag- despise sa Diyos nangyayari na ngayon. Pero ano yung response ni Esau ngayong nararanasan na niya ‘tong mga ‘to? Hindi ito genuine repentance. The unrepentant sinner grieves, yes. Nag-grieve din si Esau umiyak siya. The unrepentant sinner grieves over what he has lost, but not over the sins he committed. It’s not anger or hatred for sin, but hatred because we did not get what we want. And hence, the sorrow that comes out of it is not genuine, it is not godly. The REBEL’S SORROW therefore is a counterfeit sorrow. It is a fake sorrow because true sorrow is not an outward sorrow but inward. A person can look sad but the heart continues to be angry. True sorrow is a sorrow over the sins you have committed, knowing that these sins are offensive to the holy God, knowing that God hates them and yet we still commit them. Sabi nga sa second Corinthians chapter 7 verse 10 we read this, this morning. It says for Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to Salvation without regret whereas worldly grief produces death. Meaning there is a sorrow according to God and a sorrow of the world. The Godly sorrow is a sorrow that results to a changed heart, to a change behaviour. The worldly sorrow is a sorrow that is caused by pride, by selfishness, by any sin. Godly sorrow is a sorrow that is caused by the knowledge of us committing a sin against God’s. Hindi lang siya dahil sa act itself but knowing that it was against the Lord God. Kaya ang challenge ko sa lahat ng nandito, TRAIN YOUR HEARTS TO LAMENT OVER SIN AND SEE THE LORD’S GOODNESS IN THE GOSPEL.
When we say “lament”, hindi lang ito umiyak ka. A normal person can cry but only a christian can lament. Lamenting, may kasamang prayer to God, may kasamang repentance ito. Change ng behaviour. Yun ang lament. You’re grieving over the sins because you know yung mga epekto ng mga kasalanan, hindi lang sa buhay mo, sa mga relationships but most importantly, sa iyong fellowship with the Lord. So kailangan tayong mag-lament, mag-mourn, mag-grieve over these sins. Now I’m not saying, when I say train your hearts to lament over sin, I’m not saying that you enroll in an acting class at kayo ay mag-try na umiyak. Train your hearts in a way that you would see sin. How God sees sin. Train your hearts in a way that you would see what sin does. Train your eyes to see the holiness of the Lord and repent of your sins. Train your eyes to see how sins offend God. Train your hearts to see God’s hatred towards sin. Sa sobrang train ng iyong puso, sa kakapakinig mo ng salita ng Diyos, ng gospel, ng holy law of God, whenever you sin, naca-catch mo kaagad. Ganun na yung training mo. Kasi alam mong, when you are tempted, hindi ka magfa-fall into temptation kasi alam mong ayaw iyon ng Panginoon. Ganun klaseng training sa sobrang lumalangoy na tayo sa channels sa means of grace ng Panginoon, that you are so trained there. Kapag sobrang tempted ka nang magalit sa Iyong kapatid, “no, I’ll mortify this.
Sin destroys us. It destroys relationships. In fact the reason why
there is death in the world, because sin still exists in the world. Hindi ba cause yun to lament? to grieve? Because they’re still there! Yun ang epekto ng sin. I would say when we, whenever you visit a memorial service or a wake service, dun tayo nare-remind ng weight and gravity ng sin. Kasi dun natin na-e-experience, there is death. Kasi you don’t think about death everyday. But when you visit a memorial service, a wake service, na-reremind ka of the existence of death. Nare-remind ka that sins still exists. And now suddenly you are reminded of this heaviness and of it’s gravity. Pero you don’t always visit wake services.
You need the word of God. And the word of God says God hates sin, abomination in the eyes of God. The word of God should train your hearts, brethren. To see the sin as how God sees it, so that you would lament, there’s Godly sorrow because of sin. And then see the Lord’s goodness in the gospel. As you are trained, na when you see sin, there is an immediate grief. And then you see the Lord’s goodness in the gospel that He has provided for us in Christ. Mas makikita mo yung hustisya, mas makikita mo yung mercy ng Diyos, yung grasya ng Dios doon sa cross.
When you say that you are being trained to lament over sin that also, ang consequence noon, ang immediate and necessary consequence noon, is he would run to the solution. You would run to the remedy who is Jesus Christ. Again, lament over sin, Godly sorrow, that is what a reprobate cannot do and does not do. Their hearts do not lament. Do we think that the reprobate, the non-elect will change their hearts in this lifetime? No. Dahil yun nga ang sinasabi ni Paul.
Debased na ang kanilang mind, ang kanilang mga puso. Matigas na. Kaya ngayon pa lang, kung naririnig niyo na ang salita ng Diyos at hindi ka naniniwala kay Kristo, mag-repent ka na sa iyong kasalanan. Come to faith in Him. Dahil kung ikaw ay wala sa Diyos, habang buhay ka, you have an everyday opportunity to repent. Because when Christ returns, and when you experience the fullness of his wrath, when we are judged because of our belief and works, there is no repenting in hell. You think when it says there’s weeping and gnashing of teeth, you think they are, they’re sorry for what they have done? Oh no! They’re angry just like Esau after experiencing the consequences or he would want to kill Jacob. He was angered! There was bitter cry! Yung iyak niya ay hindi tunay na repentance. Ito’y iyak kasi hindi niya nakuha yung gusto niya. He’s a paradigm of a reprobate as well who will be experiencing the fullness of wrath in hell. Of course multiply it. They’re not gonna seek forgiveness. If they seek, if they sought, if they even seek for forgiveness, oh, that would mean that there’s a regeneration in hell. Well that would mean that God have granted repentance and faith in hell. But that’s not gonna happen. Kaya nga magandang reminder sa atin even yung thief on the cross. So, one example, na sa bingit ng kamatayan, nakahanap ng pagpapatawad.
Nabigyan ng pagpapatawad ng Panginoon. Ganun kabuti ang Panginoong Diyos! Now the story of the thief is not a message for us to wait until that time, oh antayin ko na lang. Hindi muna ako magre- repent ngayon, hindi ako hihingi ng tawad sa Diyos, hindi ako maniniwala kay Kristo, tutal yung theif sa cross namatay siya. Ah, bago siya mamatay, ilang segundo na lang, probably, siya’y naniwala. Well the fact is you don’t know if you will be in that same situation. The message is that God has the ability, the compassion, the mercy and the grace to forgive us all. That even at the point of that He can indeed forgive us if we repent. But for us, it simply means, ngayong na naririnig mo ito, don’t wait! Do it now! Repent of your sins. Lament over sins and see the Lord’s goodness in the gospel. Pwede rin naman, we can say that we are in deep sorrow because of sin. Marahil, talagang nalulungkot tayo dahil sa kasalanan. Pero ingat, because it may also end up with yourself pa rin. It will end with the self,
Sabi nga ni A.W. Pink and I quote, sabi niya – “People may be
deeply moved, weep, go home and determine to reform their lives and yet return to their sins.” Hindi ito yung magde-decide ka lang ngayong araw na ito, magre-repent na ako. Ang buhay kristiyano ay patuloy na buhay, on-going repentance. Tignan mo kung gaano kabigat ang kasalanan kapatid. Matuto tayong properly to grieve over sin, properly to lament over sin, motivated by the word of God. And as you are trained to see the weight and gravity of sin, do not forget the cross because the cross will put an end to the grieving.
Something Carl Trueman brought up when he was in a lecture. Many centuries ago sa mga churches, ang ginagawa nila, kapag may patay sa family members nila, ililibing din nila doon din sa church graveyard. Mga patay nilang kamag-anak, sa church grounds, okay. So ibig sabihin, the weight and the reality of, of sin, the weight and the reality of death would pass over you when you enter through the doors of their church. So nire-remind sila palagi na may patay, may death.
Kasi dun nila nililibing heh, ‘no. So you could see the grave of your grandfather, your father, your mother. Ganun daw talaga noon. Pero, in a sense, na again, malinaw sa kanila yung bigat ng kasalanan. See, that’s an effect of sin. Ang tanong ko,dapat bang dumaan lagi ang mga churches sa ganun? Mayroong church graveyard just so na we understand the gravity and weight of our sin? The word of God presents to us how God hates sin.
So mga kapatid, there is Godly sorrow over sin. Hindi natin sinasabi na tayo’y maglupasay. That’s maybe an outward, ah, outward lamang iyan, pero loob-loob mo ay galit ka pa din because of sin.
Are you in sin and yet you don’t hate your sin? That you hate it that you did not get what you want? Or you hate it that you were caught?
Or you hate it that you were wronged? Evaluate po natin mga kapatid, baka counterfeit repentance ito. Evaluate yourself is that the reason for grieving? Or are you grieving because your sin is abomination is sin against our holy God. And look to Christ for hope. Look to Christ for grace and mercy. If you see the gravity, bigat ng kasalanan, pumunta ka kay Kristo na punong-puno ng grasya ready to forgive us. The Mercy Seat is always open for us. When you think na yung sin mo ay sobrang bigat na wala ka nang pag-asa. Si Kristo, yung krus, pinapakita sa iyo, may pag-asa because Siya’y namatay sa krus para sa atin, para sa ating mga kasalanan. Lumapit tayo kay Kristo. Lumapit tayo, tumingin ka sa krus! Nakita mo yung bigat ng kasalanan? Namatay si Kristo. Ganun kabigat. Then there is where the justice of God is seen. It is on the cross! It is also where you see the mercy of God. It’s because it was Christ who was punished and not you. It also on the cross that you would see the grace of God. Dahil undeserving tayo sa ating salvation, patuloy pa Niya tayong bine-bless. Patuloy pa Niya tayong pinapalakas at yun ay dahil namatay Siya sa krus, at Siya’y nabuhay muli. And again, for a non-elect, ito ay foreign. Kung ikaw ay kay Kristo, appreciate mo ‘to. Appreciate mo ito na ito’y binigay sa yo graciously. We respond to sin as christians with humility, with Godly sorrow, not simply because of the act of sin itself but primarily because we know that it is against our good and holy God. We respond to the gospel with utmost gratitude knowing that our good and holy God graciously blesses us in Christ. May the word of God enrich our knowledge of Him and may it stir us to live in light of these truths. Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, thank You Lord for Your grace and mercy and
goodness in our lives. Lord, we are underserving of Your work, but Lord, because You love Your people O Lord, You’ve sent Your Son, Jesus Christ to die for us. And that if we believe in Him oh Lord, we will not be perished but we’ll gain eternal life in Him. Thank You Lord for these words. Thank You Lord for the assurance of His work in our lives. Allow us O Lord to be enabled by your Spirit to properly look at sin at how You see it. May we understand its gravity and weight and may we, Lord, allow us to mourn over our sins so that we would appreciate the beauty of the cross, the beauty of Christ in His death and Resurrection. So I thank You O Lord. I pray that You would continue to strengthen us at the table and may the strength that You give us today O Lord, may it be sufficient O Lord for the rest of the week may we be reminded of Your words the whole day. Lord, we praise You in Christ’s name, amen.